The Joint
Communique between the Syrian Orthodox Church of Antioch and Roman Catholic
Church
by Patriarch Ignatius Zakka I Iwas and Pope John Paul II
signed on Saturday, June 23, 1984, Rome.

1. His Holiness John Paul II,
Bishop of Rome and Pope of the Catholic Church, and His Holiness Moran Mor
Ignatius Zakka I Iwas, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and Supreme head
of the Universal Syrian Orthodox Church, kneel down with full humility in front
of the exalted and extolled Heavenly Throne of our Lord Jesus Christ, giving
thanks for this glorious opportunity which has been granted them to meet
together in His love in order to strengthen further the relationship between
their two sister Churches, the Church of Rome and the Syrian Orthodox Church
of Antioch-the relationship already excellent through the joint initiative of
Their Holinesses of blessed memory Pope Paul Vl and Patriarch Moran Mor
Ignatius Jacoub III.

2.
Their Holiness Pope John Paul II and Patriarch Zakka I wish solemnly to widen
the horizon of their brotherhood and affirm here with the terms of the deep
spiritual communion which already unites them and the prelates, clergy and
faithful of both their Churches, to consolidate these ties of Faith, Hope and
Love, and to advance in finding
a wholly common ecclesial life.

3. First of all, Their Holinesses confess the faith
of their two Churches, formulated by the Nicene Council of 325 AD and
generally known as 'the Nicene Creed'. The confusions and schisms that
occurred between their Churches in the later centuries, they realize today,
in no way affect or touch the substance of their faith, since these arose only because of differences in
terminology and culture and in the various formulae adopted by different
theological schools, to express the same matter. Accordingly, we find today
no real basis for the sad divisions and schisms that subsequently arose
between us concerning the doctrine of Incarnation. In words and life we
confess the true doctrine concerning Christ our Lord, notwithstanding the
differences in interpretation of such a doctrine, which arose at the time of
the Council of Chalcedon.

4. Hence we wish to reaffirm solemnly our profession
of common faith in the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ, as Pope Paul Vl
and Patriarch Moran Mor Ignatius Jacoub III did in 1971. They denied that
there was any difference in the faith they confessed in the mystery of the
Word of God made flesh and become truly man. In our turn we confess that, He
became incarnate for us, taking to himself a real body with a rational soul. He
shared our humanity in all things except sin. We confess that our Lord and
our God, our Saviour and the King of all, Jesus Christ, is perfect humanity. In
Him His divinity is united to His humanity. This union is real, perfect,
without blending or mingling, without confusion, without alteration, without
division, without the least separation. He, who is God eternal and indivisible,
became visible in the flesh and took the form of servant. In him are united,
in a real, perfect indivisible and inseparable way, divinity and humanity,
and in Him all there properties are present and active.

5. Having the same conception of Christ, we confess
also the same conception of His mystery. Incarnate, dead and risen again, our
Lord, God and Saviour has conquered sin and death. Through him during the
time between Pentecost and the Second Coming, the period which is also the
last phase of time, it is given to man to experience the new creation, the
kingdom of God, the transforming ferment (cf. St. Mt. X111: 33) already
present in our midst For this God has chosen a new people, His holy Church
which is the body of Christ. Through the Word and through the Sacraments the
Holy Spirit acts in the Church to call everybody and make them members of
this Body of Christ. Those who believe are baptized in the Holy Spirit in the
name of the Holy Trinity to form one body and through the Holy Sacrament of
the anointing of Confirmation their faith is perfected and strengthened by
the same Spirit.

6. Sacramental life finds in the Holy Eucharist its
fulfillment and its summit, in such a way that it is through the Eucharist
that the Church most profoundly realizes and reveals its nature. Through the
Holy Eucharist the event of Christ's Pasch expands throughout the Church. Through
Holy Baptism and Confirmation, indeed, the members of Christ are anointed by
the Holy Spirit, grafted on to Christ; and through the Holy Eucharist the
Church becomes what she is destined to be through Baptism and Confirmation. By
communion with the body and blood of Christ the faithful grow in that
mysterious divinization which by the Holy Spirit makes them dwell in the Son
as children of the Father.

7. The other Sacraments, which the Catholic Church
and the Syrian Orthodox Church of Antioch hold together in one and the same
succession of Apostolic ministry, i.e. Holy Orders, Matrimony, Reconciliation
of penitents and Anointing of the Sick are ordered to that celebration of the
Holy Eucharist which is the center of sacramental life and the chief visible
expression of ecclesial communion. This communion of Christians with each
other and of local Churches united around their lawful Bishops is realized in
the gathered community, which confesses the same faith, which reaches forward
in hope of the world to come and in expectation of the Saviour's return and
is anointed by the Holy Spirit, who dwells in it with charity that never
fails.

8. Since it is the chief expression of Christian
unity between the faithful and between Bishops and priests, the Holy
Eucharist cannot yet be concelebrated by us. Such celebration supposes a
complete identity of faith such as does not yet exist between us. Certain
questions, in fact, still need to be resolved touching the Lord's will for
His Church, as also the doctrinal implications and canonical details of the
traditions proper to our communities which have been too long separated.

9. Our
identity in faith, though not yet complete, entitles us to envisage
collaboration between our Churches in pastoral care, in situations which
nowadays are frequent both because of the dispersion of our faithful
throughout the world and because of the precarious conditions of these
difficult times. It is not rare, in fact, for our faithful to find access to
a priest of their own Church materially or morally impossible. Anxious to
meet their needs and with their spiritual benefit in mind, we authorize them
in such cases to ask for the Sacraments of Penance, Eucharist and Anointing
of the Sick from lawful priests of either of our two sister Churches, when
they need them. It would be a logical corollary of collaboration in pastoral
care to cooperate in priestly formation and theological education. Bishops are
encouraged to promote sharing of facilities for theological education where they judge it to be advisable. While
doing this we do not forget that we must still do all in our power to achieve
the full visible communion between the Catholic Church and the Syrian
Orthodox Church of Antioch and ceaselessly implore our Lord to grant us that
unity which alone will enable us to give to the world a fully unanimous
Gospel witness.

10.
Thanking the Lord who has allowed us to meet and enjoy the consolation of the
faith we hold in common (cf. Rom. 1:12) and to proclaim before the world the
mystery of the Person of the Word incarnate and of His saving work the
unshakeable foundation of that common faith, we pledge ourselves solemnly to
do all that in us lies to remove the last obstacles still hindering full
communion between the Catholic Church and the Syrian Orthodox Church of
Antioch, so that with one heart and voice we may preach the word: "The
True Light that enlightens every man" and "that all who believe in
His name may become the children of God" (cf. St. John1:9-12).